So, Youth Uprising wants us all to know that "violence is not justice." Okay, but that's a straw man argument. Who actually advocates violence as an end in and of itself? No one. Why blindly repeat talking points from the powers that be that define property destruction as "violence"? The real violence that happened on the streets in January '09 was cops beating and tasing people, more often than not quite randomly. Protesters didn't hurt a single person. Now the cops are prepared to bust out people's ear drums with their new LRAD weapon and Youth Uprising is silent on that being "violence".

It's typical of the oversimplified, dumbed-down message being sent out by non-profits now, basically doing the bidding of politicians and police. Yes, violence does not equal justice, but neither does police brutality equal property destruction. Okay?

Why is Youth Uprising more interested in targeting protesters than the powers that be at this most critical time? Do they really care more about broken windows than police gunning down unarmed people of color?

What exactly does justice mean in the affirmative for Youth Uprising? If Johannes Mehserle walks in the murder of Oscar Grant, is that the justice system just doing its thing and we should all trust and accept that? Is there no recourse acceptable to them other than making PSAs to tell the people to calm down? When will they ever live up to their name, stop worrying about funding from the state, and actually rise up and stop business as usual? When will they ever step up with even the most basic non-violent civil disobedience in the tradition of great civil rights struggles?

so I've heard about this psa but this was the 1st time I watched it and I am really shocked. Damn Brown Buffalo's and claim to be be Oakland's own Somos 1 and Big Dan are in there right next to the DA and OPD trying to tell us how we can react to the verdict?

Can we say conspiring with OPD???????????????

Ain't that some shit! Ya'll are sellouts and have no credibility with me anymore! That shit is hella wack and I will be saying it to your face.

... It's a good fucking thing that property destruction, civil disobedience, and direct action are not acts of violence.
"If you're so worried about kids in black smashing windows and burning cop cars, you should learn about the men in black suits that burn masses of humans, burn entire countries..." -Infoshop.org

Ha! Setting aside the fact that property destruction isn't violence and that violence is rare whenever there are these types of uprisings (but obviously, they're not unheard of through the years and uprisings - e.g. Reginald Denny), for a cop to sit there and tell me that violence isn't justice is the most bizarre form of hypocrisy yet.

The so-called "justice system" in this country is filled with violence - the actual violence of police and prisons. The state provides us with no tangible example of nonviolent means of winning justice - they don't have issue with violence, they just have issue with losing their monopoly on violence.

The problem that I with property destruction is that those tactics are often used without discrimination. Breaking a Bank of America window makes a statement. Setting a police car on fire can also make a statement. Breaking a hat shop owners window makes a different statement. Setting a random car on fire of someone who may be your ally makes a different statement. If there is a verdict that causes action from the community, will you actually affect the system that causes these types of verdicts, or will you simply strike blindly and hit anything that happens to be in the way at the time? Would you be willing to move the rally to 5th and Broadway outside of the Oakland police station? Fighting for justice doesn't mean striking out blindly and affecting your own community negatively. My hope is that this is remembered on the night of the verdict, regardless of what that verdict is.

If YU folks don't show up in force at 14th & Broadway, their street cred in Oakland will be severely damaged.

Okay, YU isn't for a riot - I agree with that. But then you got to show up in the street with a disciplined militant protest.

If you want to do something else in the streets - that's on you.

Don't go and hide indoors like cowards. Don't go to some group to be healed. Go out in the streets and be counted. Shout loud and clear for justice.

I am not down with denouncing anyone protesters struggling for justice. I am not for allowing any group of protesters to be isolated by the police, who are the main threat of violence.

All protesters are our sisters and brothers. They are our young people. If Mesherle isn't convicted of Murder, their rage will be righteous.

Those who argue rebellions don't help anything are being blind to the reality that this trial never would have even gone so far as it has wasn't for the rebellion, nonviolent and otherwise, that occurred after the murder.

This is the most idiotic PSA I've ever seen. No one's going to buy this bowl full of donkey crap, no one is that stupid.

Why is it the corrupt twits are the ones with power? Or is it a few corrupt masterminds are controlling them like marionettes, and they're too stupid to figure it out? Either way, the people need t start really standing up and doing something about it, every chance they get.

While i agree that the intial Day of the Verdict rally should be at 14th and Broadway /Oakland who says that all of the actions should be in Oakland ? After all Brother Grant while working in Oakland lived in Hayward ? Mehserle. resident of Napa , was part of the BAY AREA Rapid Transit Police Force not the OPD . (Not to say the OPD wouldn't (and have ) murdered unarmed people . Though i doubt if they would be stupid enough to do it in front of literally dozens of witnesses and cell ph cameras ) And the SF stations have by far the highest number of passengers . So if we have a large turnout at 14th and Broadway maybe we should consider organizing a march thru Oscar's hometown , the mainly working class Hayward (which after all isn't a small town but a medium sized city of , if you include unincorporated Castro Valley , over 200, 000.) Just a thought.

i Daniel Mora (BIG DAN) and my brother Julio Magana (SOMOS ONE) of BRWN BFLO did the interview, but not to allign our selves to any PD department, Nuff said about that. Feel free to confront me in public but PLEASE be respectful and lets prevent any further division. Expect to see me personally at City Hall once the verdict is reached or feel free leave BRWN BFLO a voicemail at (510) 355.0356 and i personally will contact you back.

Can you please clarify something? You say that you and Julio did the interview, but not to align yourselves with the Police Department.

My questions are:

1) Did you know that police were going to be part of the PSA? 2) Did you know the messaging of the PSA? 3) Do you feel you were misled in any way regarding the PSA? 4) Do you support the PSA and it's messaging?

Damn near everyone on this post is ranting and acting out crazy on pure emotion. You know why republicans got all the money and most the power? Cuz they work together to fuck us over.. look at this group & the postings, yall turning on eachother like its nothing. Dan & Somos been doing huge community work for years--most yall recognize it, so chill the fuck out. Take that energy and put it in the right direction. Its hella clear that this PSA is bullshit-- there I said it. If a respected organizer in the community asked you to be part of a PSA with a tagline "violence is not justice" you'd probably be down to be involved. Be real-- you wouldn't ask for a full list of everyone else on it.. you wouldn't ask for a script of the things theyd say, of the images they'd show. KEEP IT REAL. Move past the petty crap & finger pointing and use your time to help mobilize the people, so we have a tight, well thought out strategy when this shit goes down. PEACE.

BRWN BFLO has removed ourselves from the YU Oscar Grant PSA. We did not understand what those interviews would be used for. Though (as educators who work with Oakland youth) we would NEVER condemn protest, NOR do we trust this justice system, NOR would we co-sign any police strategy to preserve a false peace . To avoid further confusion, we have removed ourselves from the YU Oscar Grant PSA. Special thanks to those who trusted our intentions and were not quick to hate. As High School educators, LASTING justice for Oscar Grant and all Cali youth is our top priority in our daily prayer and our hard work.

First of all, I agree with Yardgal... quit the finger-pointing and let's learn to give folks the benefit of the doubt. While it is good and important to call folks out when necessary, it is equally important for folks to do so in a good respectful way that is open to them clarifying what's going on before jumping to conclusions...

With that said, I think MUCH PROPS ARE DUE to the brothers Big Dan and Julio for stepping up in the way that they have and clarifying what was going on with the PSA... I hope other folks on here also GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE, and let folks know about this clarification as part of the non-profit strategy has been precisely to engage in deceiving back-room deals that include shit like interviewing the good folks like BRWN BFLO for some cred, but then manipulate what they say into their own message.

So your right. I guess what should happen is some leftist anarchist kids who are from wealthy families should agree to be held as hostages until demands are met. I mean why should poor people burn up their communities again it is time to go afte the man right? It is up to people of color who are directly affected because of the color of their skin to decide how to respond. Stand down white boyz.